ST. LOUIS — SLPS is scrambling to repair 35 buildings after this week's flood damage. Soldan High School was flooded so high the water covered its cafeteria chairs on Thursday afternoon.
St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) director of communications said this shows just how powerful these floodwaters are.
"Had we had kids in here this would have been a pretty scary situation," George Sells said.
He said what started as flooding backed up sewage, leaving water you can still see in the cafeteria.
"It's a mess here, it's a mess throughout the district," Sells said. "It shows the power with which the water was moving in that area at the height of the storm."
The power of the water picked up something otherwise impossible to move at the school.
"We had more water in the building thanks to a dumpster that was picked up by flood waters that then smashed in the door," Sells said. "Those are big, heavy doors, security doors."
Sells said the Operations Team is working tirelessly to ensure the school's doors will open at the end of the summer.
"There will be a lot of bleach and a lot of deep cleaning involved," he said.
Another structure filled with memories and moments turned upside down in just one afternoon. But as the school year comes close, he said students and teachers will still have a space to learn.
"That's first and foremost, our students and staff will be safe. That's non-negotiable, and so we'll be taking care of that," he said.
Sells also said the district is hopeful some relief of their own is on the way for any future event like this if Prop S passes on next Tuesday's election ballot. He said this would cover things like school building infrastructure and plumbing, including damage from this week's floods.